her daughters scream could wake sweetrose from the dead. and, in fact, it just about did.

the deputy had been exhausted. sneaking off to the den she shared with her mate for just a few winks of sleep, she'd slowly been lulled out of consciousness and...

orangekit.

the faintest of wails sent the new mother bolting upwards, eyes wide. scrabbling to her paws, a little more clumsy than usual, the deputy hauled ass out of the den and the camp, following her daughters voice. she's okay, she's okay. it wasn't deathwish, it wasn't deathwish. she kept telling herself these things as she forced her way through the forest, a look of horror on her face upon regarding her kitten.

"orangekit!" she whispered, full of fear, panic as she stared at kitten. "RIDDLE! SOMEONE GET RIDDLE!" she howled, imagining the worst.

she was feeling drained. playing doting deputy, doting mother, it took a lot out of her. as much as she loved what she did, it was... it was hard. she and nightstar hadn't spent much time together, and he'd always been her crutch. he made it all feel less... heavy.

with the camp quiet, their children fast asleep, the world seemingly abandoned - sweetrose stole a few moments to slip into their den, eyeing her mate. giving him a small, warm, familiar smile, sweetrose approached him on silent, tentative paws. "hey night." she greeted, voice low, soft.

the deputy was close behind her mate, mossy eyes focused on the stranger. they were still allies with bloodclan, even just barely. would bloodclan send a spy? or perhaps this male genuinely wanted to join - if so, he was bad at first impressions.

sweetrose was silet, eyes shifting to nightstar, waiting for a response.

the horror on the deputys face was nothing compared to the horror in her chest. "hemlock!" sweetrose shouted, rushing to her son immediately and moving to lift him by the scruff and move him even further from the berry.

"don't ever touch those. one little lick and you'll die the most painful death imaginable." she told him, ears flat and worry in her eyes.

her entire life, as a loner, sweetrose had explored the world. moving to shadowclan felt claustrophobic - but she'd gotten used to it. camp-bound though? sweetrose couldn't make it more than a few days without sneaking out for a patrol or two.

she slowed herself. she did her share and came home to her children. she woke early inthe morning to order patrols, but didn't venture out too soon.

the ginger feline had been returning with a hunting patrol, long legs carrying her swiftly, ginger fur lit up in the light like fire. she dropped her cathes, two mice and a vole, on the freshkill pile, her daughter catching her eye.

sweetrose smiled at the littermates, sticking together to venture into the world. she was proud of them, being curious and willing to take a chance.

"hey there, little ones," the deputy would purr to her children, moving closer with an encouraging grin.

sweetrose remembered her first day in camp. well, her first real day. the day that she was strong enough to stay awake for more than a few minutes, as the fox bites healed and thefever wore off. she was intimidated by the sheer amoun of people, afraid of doing something wrong, being unwelcome, unliked. it was at this time that she'd met nightbird, beyond him carrying her half dead body back to camp. they'd talked and walked and he'd been her first real friend in the clan. ever, maybe. he shared his troubles, his worries, and she'd accepted him as he was.

and now here she was. he was nightstar, she was his deputy, his mate, and the mother of his children. their first had run away, the first biological litter died - the little felines with her in the nursery were everything to the deputy now.

"it's not as scary as it seems." she'd say quietly to her daughter from where she lie, giving her a small smile. "i was the new girl once, too. but it gets less scary, more exciting."